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Browsing Category GIS In Action

This Sunday is Father’s Day (don’t worry, you still have time to go buy a card!), and what better way to honor all of the hard-working, spider-killing, lawn-mowing fathers out there than to talk about fishing?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute currently has a GIS map for fish stocking. If you didn’t know, fish stocking is the practice of raising fish in a confined environment and then releasing them into a body of water in order to either increase or create a fish population. By mapping where fish are being stocked, dads everywhere can be sure their next fishing trip is a success.

With an easy-to-navigate search function, you can click “Take Me to the Stocked Fish” and immediately see where fish have been stocked, the type of fish, and the year they were released.

Because fish released last year may not have yet grown be the prize-winning largemouth bass every dad is looking for, toggling the layers to only show releases from, say, 2013 and before can help fishermen know which lakes may hold the biggest catch.

As you already know, GIS mapping capabilities can aid in the most minute of details; a single road’s infrastructure or a specific tree’s biography can all be mapped to a tee. The wonderful thing about GIS, though, is that its scalability is limitless, growing with its users and applications seamlessly.

The World Bank is a cooperative made up of 187 member countries that aims to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Its efforts seek to reduce poverty on a global scale. With such an undertaking, better data (and more importantly, application of said data) is paramount to its success.

Since the 1980’s, the World Bank has used GIS tools and maps to aid in its global initiatives. A map could show the density of human settlements in relation to nearby clinics, hospitals and schools, indicating areas of greatest need, used to assess service road locations and quantity, or even determine the number of people at risk from natural disasters like flooding or earth quakes.

The World Bank Institute’s Innovation Team has geocoded and mapped over 30,000 geographic locations for more than 2,500 bank-financed projects worldwide under its Mapping and Results initiative. Moving forward, all new World Bank projects are georeferenced, ensuring that current data and initiatives can be smoothly applied to future endeavors.

As technology, economies, and data collection continue to increase at exponential rates, GIS mapping is helping to declutter information and assist in well-informed decision making.

You’ve probably seen a million maps this election cycle, all with different geographic locations, color schemes, and data points. Yet, a new map of the United States shows a GIS map come to life by utilizing 3D capabilities to create an interactive (and visually interesting) map to showcase nationwide election results.

While still giving the same information as other similar GIS maps – things like clicking to see election results by county, voting population, and votes by each party – this new map creates a more dynamic visualization of what these results mean. This “High Rise” idea, displaying the election results like one might see the skyline of a large city, can show pseudo-metropolises of one party (or one candidate); on the other hand, an area devoid of skyscrapers would indicate a more highly contested area.

As GIS technology continues to evolve, we’ll be on the lookout for more innovative, outside of the box uses!

This month marks the 36th year since Mount St. Helens erupted, the deadliest volcanic event in the continental United States’ history. LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) coupled with GIS mapping capabilities is allowing geologists to better understand the Earth’s geology in Washington’s volcanic region.

Mapping the state’s volcanoes is incredibly valuable to assessing risks to downstream communities that could be hit by lahars (those incredibly destructive mudflows that occur after volcanic eruptions, wrecking everything in their paths).

The use of LIDAR with these maps helps identify spots for future study, like this image that shows 2,000 year-old pyroclastic flow deposits that geologists could not have known about without the LIDAR technology.

Ultimately, having a map that allows for accessible data regarding Washington’s volcanoes enables scientists and geologists to more easily understand the current and future risk associated with each volcano. As Washington continues to implement LIDAR and GIS capabilities, their interactive map will become more useful (and colorful).

If you’ve been watching the news or monitoring Twitter trends, you’re well aware that the Zika virus has been gaining ground as a global health issue. Just a couple months ago, the first confirmed case of the virus in the United States was reported. Just yesterday, the first case in Wisconsin was reported. With the Zika virus spreading, using GIS mapping can help health professionals, policy makers, and civilians make sense of the epidemic.

Esri has mapped the history of the Zika virus, dating its discovery back to 1947 in Uganda.

From there, we can click on the interactive map to take us along the virus’s path through time. Each event worth noting is listed in chronological order, allowing us to see how the virus has traveled.as well as where it might be trending towards in the future.

For policy makers and health officials, knowing where the Zika virus has been as well as how it has spread can aid in their public outreach to educate inhabitants of threatened areas. For civilians, the GIS map allows them to be more educated on areas to avoid.

In the next couple of weeks, college grads from across the country will don their caps and gowns, walk across their designated stages, and receive their diplomas – a physical embodiment of late nights at the library, football games, and countless packets of ramen. As many recent grads can attest, the thought of finding a job after graduation and putting that (expensive) degree to use causes endless anxiety and confusion. Deciding where to begin a job search is the first step in moving on from academia and into the working world.

GIS maps combined with a little “outside-the-box” thinking can provide a great starting point for college graduates looking to begin their professional job search. By utilizing already available data in Esri’s Community Analyst software, finding where to look based on individual preferences is quick and easy.

Narrowing down state and county by personal preferences such as population size, diversity index, or income level is a great way to understand what areas of the country would be a best match. Once the right state and county are decided, all that’s left to do is start applying!

With these GIS mapping capabilities, this May’s college graduates will have one less thing to worry about as they transition to their post-collegiate lives.

Yesterday, May 4th, was Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you), meaning today we’re highlighting the intergalactic capabilities that GIS offers. Fascination with the night sky has been a long tradition of human civilization, non-exclusive in its availability to anyone with a clear sky. As modern technology keeps advancing and thus allowing us to see more and more stars, constellations, and galaxies, keeping track of each is a daunting task.

The Astronomy Nexus is a project that is working to map the plethora of data found in the night sky.

Clicking on each star results in a view of its name, constellation, distance from earth, luminosity, and more, making the surplus of data both organized and intuitive.

As you continue to magnify the map, the star names become much less creative (i.e. 23, 31, 32). When clicking on any star for its information, a small “i” icon appears. When you click it, it will take you to that star’s Wikipedia page for you to read more about it.

Thanks to GIS mapping, star lovers and Jedi alike can have streamlined and functional use of endless amounts of data, all with the simple click of a mouse.

Spring has sprung! Though the recent cold front in the Midwest is a point of confusion for Mother Nature, the grass is growing green, the trees are budding, and the joy of spring allergies has embraced many. With the warm temperatures (hopefully) just around the corner, cooling our homes and the coinciding energy bills will be on everyone’s minds.

With GIS mapping, we are able to see a detailed map that coordinates coloring with cooling needs anywhere in the United States. The map, while giving intricate information about the cooling and energy needs of any location, also shows that there is more to these needs than just a latitudinal line.

Because of the versatile capabilities of GIS mapping, it is easy to flip the data and instead show heating needs for any given location.

With these two maps working in tandem, it is again an easy process to configure the data to show the ratio between heating and cooling needs. With this map, you can easily see where the most (and least) temperate locations in the United States are, and thus where your energy bills would be the lowest.

As you probably know, Earth Day has been around for over four decades with its goal being to educate the public about the environment. As we’ve moved into the 21st century, the reality of global climate change and humanity’s role in its acceleration has prompted a more in-depth and intuitive look at natural and human systems as we continue to adapt to a warmer future. Maps and geographic information systems allow for a spatial understanding of our environment, with information being simple enough for anyone to understand yet complex enough to encompass the many facets of our rapidly changing world. By understanding the past, current, and potential future of our environment, we can make conscientious decisions today to build a better tomorrow; GIS mapping can help make sense of a world’s worth of data.

By analyzing where humans are initiating the largest impact on the environment, activists and policy makers alike can make more informed decisions on what types of areas are in the most need of reform. This map through Esri shows that though there is a correlation between population density and human footprint, it is not the only factor. For example, first world countries are much more likely to contribute to a harmful effect on the environment. Equipped with this knowledge, the world population can make better, more informed choices on policy and practices moving forwards.

CO2 emissions are one of the most recognized and well-researched contributions to global climate change. Despite increased efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, they still are on the rise. Looking at maps of overall CO2 emissions as well as how they have changed allows us to visualize what areas of the world are in the most need for policy reform when it comes to carbon dioxide.

One of the hottest topics when it comes to climate change and protecting the earth revolves around the Arctic. We’ve all heard that the Arctic’s ice is melting; we’ve all been subjected to the “Save the Polar Bears” campaign. However, without a direct, firsthand look at the state of the Arctic ice, it is easy to adopt an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. With the use of GIS, we can see the change in Arctic ice over the years, giving a much more personal feel to an issue that seems so far away. Comparing the Arctic ice from 2010 to 2012 alone shows the attention climate change needs on Earth Day (and every other day of the year).

Obviously the most important consequence of climate change for humans revolves around how our actual living environment will be affected. With the use of GIS mapping, we can see the change in regional climates, affecting food and water supplies, ecological systems, and much more. By collecting the data in a visual space, we can see the shift from regional climates in 2000 compared to the projected climates in 2080:

With these maps, we are given a preview of 1,000 years worth of change happening in merely 80. The visual representation of this phenomenon serves as a much more compelling and dynamic educational tool.

Through sustainable engineering and forward-thinking technology pursuits like GIS applications, we at Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. will be happy to celebrate Earth Day knowing we contribute to a sustainable future. Have a great Earth Day tomorrow, and go plant a tree (and document it using your GIS Tree Tool)!

As the warmer weather and sunshine are finally settling in, many of us will be delighted to sweep the dust off our bicycles and hit the bike trails. For many across the United States, the rise in temperatures means bicycling will take over as their primary mode of transportation. In response to an increase in distracted driving and harmful emissions, Portland, OR is promoting pollution-free transportation by making biking the City for its 600,000+ residents easier and safer with GIS mapping.

With the entire city’s bikeways mapped, leisurely bikers, commuters, and exercisers alike can feel peace of mind knowing they are taking the best (and safest) route to their destination. Portland’s in-depth map goes beyond the norm, with layers for established bikeways, dedicated bike lanes, bike-friendly streets, and local trails. Additionally, the map allows bikers to see which areas to exercise caution while biking as well as where there are “helpful connections” between streets and paths.

With the help of maps like Portland’s, we can continue to look forward to cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions while staying healthy and safe.